Hilton HHonors - Category changes and award reservations

So I made an award reservation for 2 nights at an Opportunity class Hampton Inn a few months ago for 15k points. I needed to change the dates so I just checked my online reservation again and it appears that its now a Category 2 hotel:


Please note: HHonors Reward Reservations cannot be changed online. If you require further assistance, please contact the HHonors Service Desk.

Reward Code: C202
Description: Category 2 - 2 FREE NIGHTS

Rate type: HHONORS CERTIFICATE
Total rate for stay: 40,000 points

Please note: 40,000 points will be credited to your Balance and the Reward Certificate will be automatically voided with this booking cancellation. Please allow 30 minutes for your account balance to update.



The dates I want are available at 40k for 2 nights so my options (and questions) are:

1. Cancel the original booking and rebook the nights I want - but will I get back 40k points with the cancellation or the 15k that I originally paid?

2. Call HHonors to change the dates on my existing reservation - in this case, would they notice that I only paid 15k for the original booking and take out an additional 25k points from my account?

Anyone have any experience with something like this?

My guess would be that if you got the booking at the old rate, they would honor it even with the increase so long as you left it as is. Once it's changed, however, the new rate would apply, and you'd be refunded the old rate for the old reservation.

In other words, the answers to your questions are as follows:

1) Refund of your old reservation would get back 15k points, not 40k
2) Changes to the reservation would require a reprice, meaning you'd pay the extra 25k.

This is probably not the answer you wanted to hear, but logically, it's the only one that makes sense to me.

Mike

Update after I received a PM about this in relation to the June 2006 category changes: I cancelled the original booking (at 15k points) and got back 40k points instead. :D

Update after I received a PM about this in relation to the June 2006 category changes: I cancelled the original booking (at 15k points) and got back 40k points instead. :D


:confused: :confused: :confused:

i am too holiding CAT1 hotels with dummy reservations as you never know which property goes up in the awards chart

thats a logical step that you get the new points back, very fair on behalf of hilton.

dp

Sorry if this is a dumb question. I am holding reservations and an Award Certificate for a Category 4 hotel in late 2006. The Award Certificates, C402, specifically indicates 2 free nights at a Category 4 hotel. The reservation confirmation specifically references the specific hotel. If this hotel changes to a Category 5 before my stay what happens? Am I covered or do I have to come up with more points? Thanks for any help.